Search

AGORA

Our responsibility

We view our responsibility as our impact on the environment and contribution to the society.

  • Strategic approach to responsibility
  • CSR GOALS
  • DIALOGUE WITH STAKEHOLDERS
  • NON-FINANCIAL RISK

Choose a topic:

print
print

„Responsible Everyday. Strategic approach to responsibility” outlines the main directions adopted by Agora S.A. in the areas of corporate social responsibility and sustained development.

Responsible growth, building lasting relations with the business environment and commitment to social and workplace diversity are the pillars of Agora’s responsible management approach.

 

The main elements of the Agora Group’s strategic approach to CSR are:

Download the infographic

strategiczne-podejscie-do-odpowiedzialnosci

print
print

Specific goals shall be updated annually in Responsibility Report of Agora Group. They are drawn directly from the directions indicated in the document and aspects related to the Group’s commitment to pursuing UN Sustainable Development Goals.

 

The Agora Group strives to achieve the objectives of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within the scope of different spheres of its activity. The main aspects of the implementation of the indicated objectives are described below. 

United Nations General Assembly adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which are to be accomplished by 2030 together – by states, enterprises and communities around the world. 

No poverty
  • charity activities helping people in need
  • education of the society on the necessity to support people in need
Zero hunger
  • education towards rational consumption and preventing food wasting
Good health and well-being
  • improving the quality of life and health in the society through actions and initiatives
  • promotion of healthy lifestyle
Quality education
  • activities for improving the quality of education
  • educational activities
Gender equality
  • effective counteracting discrimination based on sex
  • strengthening the participation and role of women in decision-making at all levels
  • striving for equal treatment in all aspects of employment
  • activities supporting gender equality and equal treatment
  • initiatives strengthening the role of women in contemporary society
Clean water and sanitation
  • Water efficiency requires monitoring water consumption in the buildings managed by Agora, in Helios cinemas and printing plants of Agora Group
  • One of the priorities in the printing operations of Agora is rational use of water, hence continued efforts and introduction of new solutions to reduce water consumption
Affordable and clean energy
  • Energy efficiency is among Agora Group’s main environmental goals
  • Optimisation of electricity consumption is achieved through the adoption of ecological solutions and new systems in: offices, printing plants and cinemas managed by Agora, as well as outdoor advertising panels
Decent work and economic growth
  • development of competences Agora’s employees
  • ensuring stable employment
  • employee involvement in social, educational and cultural activities
  • care for human rights respect in the workplace
  • developing cooperation with entities that comply with the law and exercise due diligence in complying with industry standards and human rights
  • developing and maintaining its existing operations based on responsible business standards
Industry, innovation and infrastructure
  • innovative solutions for increasing the efficiency of resource used, among others in modern outdoor advertising media and urban furniture
  • environmentally friendly technologies and production processes in printing plants
  • projects supporting innovation, promotion of new business and entrepreneurship models and solutions
Reduced inequalities
  • effective prevention of discrimination on any grounds and in all aspects of employment, regardless of: sex, age, disability, health, race, nationality, ethnicity, religion, non-denominational belief, political conviction, trade union membership, psychosexual orientation, identity gender, family status, lifestyle, form, scope and basis of employment, other type of cooperation and other premises exposed to discriminatory behavior
Sustainable cities and communities
  • co-creating smart cities thanks to ecological, interactive and functional solutions
  • supporting the development of sustainable cities and their inhabitants, addressing the most important aspects of urban development
Responsible consumption and production
  • supporting the closed circuit economy
  • limiting the volume of waste
  • providing the highest quality services, responding to the needs and expectations of customers
  • building good and long-lasting contacts with clients
  • honesty and conduct in accordance with the highest standards of ethics and transparency in relations with clients and business partners
  • offering products and services tailored to different customer groups
Climate action
  • estimating the impact of activities on the climate
  • solutions and actions to minimize negative impact
Peace, justice and strong institutions
  • effective system of ethics and compliance ensuring efficient counteracting all forms of abuse
  • counteracting corruption and bribery and exercising due diligence in the context of cooperation with the environment
  • reporting and monitoring of fraud and protection of whistleblowers
  • strengthening institutions and organizations that contribute to social development and the growth of civic society
Partnerships for the goals
  • partnership for growth, particularly development of education, culture, art, journalism and mass media and supporting gender equality

Agora Group adopted the following CSR goals. Detailed descriptions of the goals is provided in the respective sections of this report.

Tab. CSR goals of Agora Group in 2019

Download the infographic

Nasze_cele_na_2019_EN

Targets for 2018 were presented in the "Agora Group Responsibility Report 2017". The implementation of these goals, related to the company's responsibility, is described in the individual parts of the Agora Group Report. Below is their summary:

 

Tab. Corporate social responsibility of Agora Group in 2018

Cele Grupy Agora związane z odpowiedzialnym biznesem w 2018 r.

AREA GOALS DEGREE OF IMPLEMENTATION REPORT’S CHAPTER
Management
  • preparation of a document defining the strategic directions of responsibility of the Agora Group
 fully implemented
Reporting
  • completion of works on the social report and its publication 
  • dialogue with stakeholders in the next reporting process
 fully implemented
Ethics and counteracting abuse
  • implementation of the Code of Ethics and the mechanism for reporting irregularities in the Agora Group
 fully implemented
Workplace
  • introduction of systemic training related to counteracting discrimination and mobbing
 fully implemented
Environment
  • preparation and implementation of the Agora Group environmental policy
 partially implemented

Policy implemented in the Print segment
Responsibility for products and services
  • preparation of coherent rules of dialogue with stakeholders
 partially implemented

Dialogue was conducted, the principles of dialogue need clarification

print
print

Stakeholders of the Agora Group are all parties with interest in the company’s operations that are in any way affected by them. In the process of mapping stakeholders, Agora identified key groups and optimal forms of engagement and dialogue for each group.

Agora Group makes every effort to regularly reach out to all stakeholders through addressing queries, opinions, doubts, etc. Continued interaction allows the company to learn about the expectations of the stakeholders and builds lasting relations with the environment. A major challenge in the dialogue process is to ensure its continuity and develop formal instruments such as regular customer surveys.

The principles of dialogue adopted by the Agora Group are:

  • cyclicality,
  • directness,
  • two-sidedness.
Download the infographic

forma_dialogu_z_interesariuszami

SELECTED CSR EVENTS INVOLVING AGORA GROUP IN 2018

AGORA GROUP RESPONSIBILITY REPORT 2017

97

GRI indicators

40

good practices were presented in the 2017 report

AGORA GROUP RESPONSIBILITY REPORT 2017

In March 2018 Agora Group published the responsibility report as an expression of the company’s transparency. The report was based on the set of internationally adopted Global Reporting Initiative (GRI G-4) guidelines, Sector Supplement – Media and UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The report lists 97 numeric and descriptive indicators plus over 40 good practices targeted at the employees, clients, readers, users and local communities. Agora Group Responsibility Report 2017 is available in the form of an interactive website as well as a conveniently downloadable pdf file-; A version of the report for Agora S.A. was also compiled, to comply with a newly adopted reporting requirement. Both document – Agora Group report and Agora S.A. are also available in English.

print
print

The Agora Group regularly monitors risks involved in its ongoing operations. The table below presents non-financial risks including: economic and legal risks, risk related to labour practices, risk related to human rights, industry-specific risk (mass media), environmental risks, risk related to supply chain and relations with clients, risks related to social activities and risk of corruption.

Read about internal control and risk management systems .

MAP OF NON-FINANCIAL RISKS

RISK MAP OF RISK RISK MANAGEMENT
ECONOMIC AND LEGAL RISKS

The Agora Group actively tracks and analyses market trends and the environment. The main risks in this area are:

  • macroeconomic risk
  • dependent on the economic situation at large, demand for products and services,
  • seasonality of advertising and cinema spending,
  • changes in the advertising market structure,
  • changing of global media consumption trends,
  • risk of changing preferences of consumers and advertisers,
  • risk involved in conducting concession-based operations (television, radio),
  • risk of breaches of the law or internal codes.
 Agora Group actively tracks and analyses market trends and our habitat, develops regular analyses of the business environment, advertising and media markets for strategic planning of operations Operations of Agora Group are determined by a business strategy that is monitored and regularly verified. In their licensed and other media operations, the media of Agora Group are committed to complying with relevant regulations, industry standards and self-imposed internal codes.

More in section:
 Ethics
LABOUR PRACTICES

Labour practices represent one of responsible business priorities to The Agora Group. Agora takes measures to minimise the following risks in this area:

  • risk of losing key employees and loss of competence,
  • employee turnover risk (cost of recruiting new employees),
  • risk of unequal treatment of employees (remuneration, training and promotion opportunities, etc.),
  • risk of collective grievances and labour-management conflicts.
 As an employer, Agora Group monitors employee turnover figures and adopts solutions to ensure retention of the best employees. Anti-discrimination and Anti-mobbing Policy and Whistleblowing System were introduced by Agora to reduce discrimination-related risks. Management Board of Agora appointed a plenipotentiary for contacts with trade unions. The employees are consulted on all employee-related matters as they arise. Agora Code of Ethics lists principles that apply to all employees and collaborators of Agora in selected areas and contexts.

More in section:
Workplace, Human rights,
Ethics
RISK RELATED TO HUMAN RIGHTS

Agora Group also has internal solutions in place: policies, rules and codes, that regulate issues related to the protection of human rights. The company monitor their application on a regular basis.
Key risks in the area are:

  • risk of misconduct (discrimination, mobbing),
  • risk of reduced freedom of association and collective bargaining or lack thereof,
  • drastic violation of human rights among Agora’s suppliers.
 Anti-discrimination and Anti-mobbing Policy and Whistleblowing System were introduced by Agora to reduce discrimination-related risks. Management Board of Agora appointed a plenipotentiary for contacts with trade unions. The employees are consulted on all employee-related matters as they arise. Agora S.A. adopted Code of Conduct for Suppliers and Contractors of Agora to ensure compliance and responsibility of all suppliers and partners of Agora. Agora Code of Ethics lists principles that apply to all employees and collaborators of Agora in selected areas and contexts.

More in section:
Workplace, Human rights,
Ethics
INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC RISK (MASS MEDIA)

In the contemporary world, mass media play a crucial role in informing and driving opinions. Social and economic change is accompanied by transformations in the mass media and dynamic development of social media.

Challenges faced by the media industry: - manipulation of communication (‘post-truth’), information source reliability, independence, transparency, reliability.

Sector-specific risks: lack of transparency, loss of public trust, concession-based operations. Risk involved in conducting concession: decline concession or punishment.

 In their licensed and other media operations, Agora Group media are committed to complying with relevant regulations, industry standards and self-imposed internal codes. Agora Group media are committed to educating the industry and offering our journalists in-house opportunities for increasing their competences. Agora Code of Ethics lists principles that apply to all employees and collaborators of Agora in selected areas and contexts.

More in section:
Workplace, Human rights,
Ethics
Responsibility towards clients and suppliers
ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS

Due to the character of the company’s operations (predominantly services), environmental aspects are not perceived by The Agora Group as priority risk areas. Nevertheless, the company is aware of the risks associated with its operations, predominantly with the printing facilities (focus on limiting environmental impacts in the relevant locations), cinema operations, outdoor advertising and building administration.

The main risk areas are:

  • operational risk related to negative environmental impact,
  • increased operational costs.
 Agora Group regularly monitors environmental impact of our operations. Printing plants of Agora Group have defined environmental goals and measures for reducing the consumption of electricity and water and effluents output. The quality management policy adopted by the plants requires continued efforts towards optimising their environmental impact. Such measures are also adopted by Administration of Agora.

More in section:
Environment
RISK RELATED TO SUPPLY CHAIN AND RELATIONS WITH CLIENTS

Key areas of product responsibility relevant to the Agora Group are marketing communications, complaint procedures and protecting customer privacy and personal information.

Key areas of risk are:

  • breaches of relevant laws or self-imposed internal regulations, such as data leaks or unauthorised use of data or content; risks involved in such situations are financial (fines, penalties) and reputational,
  • risk related to responsibility along the entire supply chain.
 Agora S.A. introduced a set of procedures for suppliers and contractors, to ensure compliance and responsibility of all suppliers and business partners of Agora. User and client satisfaction is monitored and the customer complaint system is expanded and streamlined. Agora introduces new procedures and improvements and monitors the processing of complaints. Quality policy is in place in Agora printing plants. A set of protocols and activities was introduced for personal data protection. Agora Code of Ethics lists principles that apply to all employees and collaborators of Agora in selected areas and contexts.

More in sections:
Ethics
Responsibility towards clients and suppliers
RISKS RELATED TO SOCIAL ACTIVITIES

Supporting local communities in all locations where the company conducts its operations and involvement in social, cultural, sports and charity projects are the key activities in the social impact area. Due to the number of initiatives in the area, the company faces the following risks:

  • lack of transparency in the distribution of funding,
  • failure to do due diligence in choosing social partners,
  • risk of conflicts of interests,
  • risk of insufficient returns on invested resources.
 Agora Group has described its social and sponsoring policy in a document that outlines the directions and principles of the company’s activities in the area of social responsibility. Additionally, Agora introduced protocols such as Procedure of Accepting and Publishing Charity Adverts in Gazeta Wyborcza and its supplements, web services and magazines that determine how such ads are classified, verified and published.

Agora S.A. adopted Code of Conduct for Suppliers and Contractors of Agora to ensure compliance and responsibility of all suppliers and partners of Agora. Agora Code of Ethics lists principles that apply to all employees and collaborators of Agora in selected areas and contexts.

More in sections:
Social impact
Ethics
RISK OF CORRUPTION

Managing risk of corruption is of key importance to The Agora Group. In this area primary risks are:

  • risk of corruption (also among suppliers and business partners),
  • risks of fraud involved in relations with business partners and suppliers,
  • risk of conflict of interest.
 Agora Code of Ethics lists principles that apply to all employees and collaborators of Agora in preventing corruption and fraud. A confidentiality-based system for reporting cases of misconduct was implemented. Compliance audit was conducted to identify areas for improvement and change, also in the aspect of preventing corruption and fraud. Agora also established the post of Compliance Officer to supervise the ethics and compliance systems.

More in sections:
Ethics
Responsibility towards clients and suppliers

Agora takes every precaution to mitigate the above risks. To this end, the company adopts policies and regulations to optimise the organization’s management. Approach to Management sections of this report present procedures and policies developed by Agora to eliminate non-financial risks.

Top